


Best Laid Plans

by Filiafamilias



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Female Bilbo, Female Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, So very AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-09-14 06:09:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9165493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Filiafamilias/pseuds/Filiafamilias
Summary: "I have to get down there, to see what's what." Bilbo said calmly, even if she didn't feel that way."No, you can't." Thorin was implacable, "there is a dragon down there!""Ye-es," Bilbo said slowly. "This we knew from the start. And we knew from the start that I would go and face him first. This was the plan. I'm only sticking to it.""Forget the plan. It is a stupid plan." He sounded almost desperate. "I'll think up a new plan!"Oh dear.Sometimes things didn't go according to plan, and to Bilbo, this whole quest was one very big example of just that. Now they were stranded somewhere in the wilderness, trying to survive while making new plans. If that wasn't a recipe for disaster, Bilbo didn't know what was.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is very much an AU. I will use certain elements of the book(s) and the movies but this fic will wave merrily goodbye to canon when canon turns right and this fic left. Consider yourselves warned. Not betaed, and even if it was all mistakes are my own. Thanks for reading!

 

**Chapter 1**

 

Things sometimes had a habit of not going according to plan. To Bilbo, this whole quest was one big example. Trolls wanting to eat his Company had not been a part of Thorin's plan. Being captured by Goblins was not part of the Company's plan. Falling down some rickety, Goblin-made walkway deep, deep, deep into an abyss was not part of Bilbo's plan. Riddling with a creepy and uncouth creature who turned out to be terribly rude and a sore loser to boot was not part of _anyone's_ plan, anywhere.

 

And just when things finally seemed to take a turn for the better -escaping the goblin caves, finding her Dwarves again... Then, of course, came the howling. However distant, it was still chilling.

 

"Wargs!" Someone cried out, horrified. And they didn't quite know it yet, but this warg/orc business would mean the complete end of all their best laid plans. Looking back Bilbo should not have been so surprised.

 

"Where is the wizard?!" Gloín shouted.

 

"Maybe he's gone back for the burglar." Thorin gritted out.

 

"That would be awfully inconvenient, as I am right here!" Bilbo piped up. The stark relief she saw on Thorin's Oakenshield's face made her stop and blink. What...?

 

"Burglar!" Yes, that was clear relief in his voice. But then, his brows lowered into his trademark scowl. "How did you- Why didn't you go back to Rivendell?!"

 

"Well, for one, I think I'm on the wrong side of the mountains? But that's not the point!" She raised her chin at the belligerent dwarf. "I made a promise and I'm determined to see my promise through, Mr. Oakenshield! You might want me to go home, but I will not go home before we get back yours!" She said with all the conviction -and indignation, because that dwarf always managed to get her feathers ruffled- she had in her. Which maybe wasn't much after the last few harrowing hours, but it served to struck Thorin silent- at least for the moment.

 

"How did you get past the goblins?" Bilbo frowned at Dwalin. He didn't need to sound so suspicious. However, explanations would need to wait; she cringed when she heard another howl. It already sounded closer.

 

"Explanations later! I mean, aren't there _wargs_ on our heels?! Let's go!" Kíli piped up.

 

"Shouldn't we wait for Gandalf?!" Bilbo tried to reason with the dwarves. One, a wizard was always handy to have on hand. Two, the idea of going running _again_ , with her body so sore and her head just aching from the blow that had had her unconscious in the deep dark goblin tunnel made her feel as if she couldn't take another step. Even if there were wargs coming.

 

"I think he went left at that bend where that odd outcropping of limestone intersected the granite." Balin offered. "Right before that wooden walkway gave out and we had no other choice but to go straight on."

 

"I spotted him twice more after that before I lost track of him." Oín added.

 

"The wizard will have found his way out, undoubtedly. Him I don't need to worry about," Thorin said brusquely. "Anyway, we can't go back to look for him.  Or wait for him _here_."

 

"Yes, lets _run_!" Bofur urged and he and Bombur and Ori already started sprinting down the hill, followed closely by most of the others as another eerie howl rent the air.

 

" _STOP_!!!" The command from their king did stop them in their tracks, though they were obviously reluctant. "A fat lot of good running did us last time. They will simply run us down. No, we need to make a stand. _We need a defensible position_!"

 

"We can't go back the way we came! As soon as night has fallen these hills will be crawling with goblins!" Dwalin spoke up, an axe in each hand.

 

"I know." Thorin looked sideways to Balin, who shrugged. Bilbo gaped at how calm that older dwarf could be.

 

"This way." Thorin bit out and started running through the trees, his Company hard on his heels.  

 

"But. What. About. Gandalf?" Bilbo managed to say between breaths. She couldn't. She just couldn't take this anymore.

 

"He will either find us... or not!" Bofur answered her from the back of their little group. Bilbo would have screamed at his casual attitude if she had the breath for it.

 

Then it was running, running and more running. Bilbo didn't know how much longer she could go on, but the steadily closer-sounding howls worked to keep her on her feet.

 

"Over there!" Thorin finally shouted. How long had they been running now? Bilbo tried to see what the Dwarven King had seen but was baffled; over there _what_?! However, the dwarves seemed to see something she did not, as excited mutterings could be heard among the group. _What_ was it?!

 

The broke free of the forest, only a few trees sparingly dotted the rocky ground. It appeared they were running up what seemed to be an almost vertical hillside, where a large rock formation was protruding like... like that big wart on Lobelia's cheek. Wonderful! To Bilbo it appeared to be just another huge blob of stone. What was it with Dwarves and rocks?!

 

Lose pebbles, rocks and larger stones covered the ground and started rolling as they flew over it, Bilbo almost losing her footing several times, each time hauled back to her feet by an impatient Thorin, who kept muttering about how big feet apparently did not mean steady footing. She tried to glare back but was sure she failed miserably as she was panting like Lobelia's poor overweight lap dog after it had been chased mercilessly by her bully of a son.  

 

As they approached the stone-wart, the blob of rock was quite high, some parts rising over sixty feet in the sky. Other parts of the formation were somewhat lower yet they still reached far too high in her estimation.

 

"Kíli, I want you up on that highest peak, there seems to be enough cover from where to shoot without being shot at." Thorin barked out ahead of them. Bilbo watched with open mouth how Kíli just flew up the sheer vertical cliff like it was just a simple staircase.

 

"Thorin! This hillside is on the verge of a collapse!" Dori grabbed a fistful of pebbles and small rocks and threw them down, taking more loose debris with them.

 

The Dwarves' faces lit up. "Excellent." Thorin breathed." What do you think, Gloín?"

 

"Oh yes. Leave it to me!" Gloín sprinted off, somehow making his way up the ever steeper slope before suddenly seeming to disappear behind some huge boulders.

 

"Move along!" Thorin suddenly barked at her and she hastened to catch up with the dwarves, as they circled the rock formation towards the, erm, back of it? From where it started to protrude from the mountain? Whatever it was properly called, they had now circled it and at the back the elevation of the sheer stone wall was far less high, yet still some eight or nine feet from where the hillside sloped down. It was quite wide at this point, shaped like a rather huge, crude bowl with harsh edges. Some ten feet in there was another sheer  wall (of course), with another plateau six feet up, stretching back yet how far that was until another rock wall intersected Bilbo couldn't see. What she could see from her viewpoint was that the entire rock seemed shaped like a very uneven staircase, like it had been crafted by a very large and very drunk giant.

 

Though hopefully it was not a giant itself...

 

"Get up there, you lot! They will attack us coming from both sides I reckon. The first line of defence will be Dwalin, Nori, Bifur, Fíli, Dori and myself. Second line, the rest of you. Burglar... Bilbo, get up somewhere up high and safe. Hide."

 

"But-"

 

" _Please,_ Bilbo." The sudden sincerity of Thorin's plea made her heart thud.

 

However... "So you _do_ know the magic word?!" Slipped out of Bilbo's mouth before she could stop herself.

 

"The _what_?!" Again, there was a fierce scowl. "Burglar, just get up there already!"

 

She could only nod, before bending down and stuffing as many pebbles in her pockets as she could.

 

" _Now, Bilbo_!" He shouted, just as the howling came again so close this time. She scrambled up the rocks, only to be picked up and tossed on the rocky shelf above the others. By who, she didn't know. From the second shelf, she could see all the way back to where they had emerged from the forest earlier, some hundred or so yards away. Just in time to see a small pack of wargs burst from the tree line.

 

As the animals approached, the first warg got an arrow in his eye, as did the second, courtesy of Kíli. Then, they had nearly crossed the distance between the forest line and their rock and Bilbo lost sight of them. She anxiously tried to peer over the edge to keep track of them, but it was no use as the edge of the stone shelf hid them from her sight.

 

Then the first of the remaining wargs suddenly burst around the corner and into their sight. However, it had to scramble to stop itself before it smacked into the stone wall. Now the vile beast had to leap up the eight or so feet to reach its prey on the lowest stone shelf where the Dwarves were making their stand on. Now Bilbo could see why Thorin had chosen this rock and directed them here. They had the advantage of being higher up than their attackers. And their other big strategic advantage was the fact that their backs were protected by the rock formation itself. The enemy could only approach from the two sides to attack in the front, but the area from where they could attack was decidedly limited by the very steep and rocky hillside. This meant the wargs couldn't make a running leap and they had to jump from an almost standing-still position, which meant there was less force and speed behind their jumps and their movements were far easier to predict.  

 

The two wargs who had made it this far leaped and immediately got a boar spear and an axe through their skulls.

 

Those three were just the vanguard. Suddenly more broke through the tree line. Five, ten, fifteen, two dozen and then even more wargs. Many of them had a rider. A few made to circle around the large rock outcropping to take the longer approach but most of them took the short route.

 

Bilbo saw that the loose terrain where she herself had had troubles with didn't bother the large and strong beasts much. They approached so swiftly that Bilbo suddenly felt very nauseous, as if her stomach had turned itself inside out. Defensible position or not, the sheer amount of wargs and orcs would easily overwhelm them!

 

Then, suddenly, Thorin made some sort of gesture to which Gloín, who had somehow made it up that slope far, _far_ higher than she ever thought possible, used the end of the stick the axe head was attached to (she wouldn't know the correct terms for weapon parts to save her life) to simply push a few middle sized stones over. They started rolling. And tumbling. And they quickly picked up speed. Just when Bilbo started wondering about the sanity of some of the dwarves in the Company, before her eyes the whole slope seemed to come to life. As if those few stones had been the piece of thread that kept her favourite shawl from unravelling and now that it was pulled the thing couldn't help but fall apart!

 

It was a tidal wave of stones coming down the mountain side and with such a speed that Bilbo was dumbfounded and quite honestly a bit scared too. There had been large boulders on the slope, some as big as a small barn or house, which to Bilbo had seemed unmovable but one by one they started sliding, than rolling and then tumbling too!

 

It took a blink of her eyes for the first pebbles and small stones to reach the first wargs and their riders and the force and speed with which the stones came rolling down suddenly did threaten their footing, some were even swept down!

 

However, when the main bulk of stones hit, that's when Bilbo almost threw up. The larger stones, followed by the huge boulders, impacted audibly with many of the wargs and their riders. The screams coupled with the dry snapping sounds of breaking bones and the sickly squelches of flattened flesh made her turn around and dry heave.

 

When she turned back to face the mayhem, over half of the Orcs' force had been literally swept away, this under much cheering and taunting from the dwarves, who seemed to have no problem at all with watching the bloody spectacle. The remaining orcs seemed to hesitate, unsure what to do now that the odds were more even.

 

The light was fading quickly, but the last rays of the sunset suddenly revealed an almost ghostly figure. A white warg, with on top a white Orc, ventured out from the trees.

 

She heard several sharp, shocked gasps coming from the dwarves, followed by words in their secret language which she were sure were not meant to be used in polite company. She couldn't fault them, though: that Orc was easily two times as big as the other Orcs and was that an _iron arm_?! Now wait a minute-

 

He snarled something in that foul language of his and suddenly all the remaining wargs and their riders burst into action again. Now that the flood of stones had passed, the foul beasts were upon them in almost no time at all.

 

Bilbo recoiled when the first wargs converged on them from both sides. Then it seemed as if everything happened at once. The first few were easily taken care of, but the beasts were big, powerful and ferocious and their riders just as bloodthirsty and soon the first line of defense was pushed further back on the stone shelf. Bilbo didn't know when she had actually started but she found herself busy throwing stones, aiming for the vulnerable eyes of both wargs and riders. Conkers might be laughable to dwarves, but rocks thrown into eyes did not make the orcs laugh! Quite the opposite, in fact.

 

Then, suddenly, there was that big white Orc with its big white warg and then Dori went flying and Fíli disappeared underneath another warg and Dwalin was holding off two others and Thorin- Bilbo nearly screamed when the white warg easily tore the oak shield from the dwarf's grip before setting his teeth in Thorin's arm and this whole fight was just so unfair because Thorin had to fend off both the monstrously large warg and the monstrously large Orc and then she saw the white Orc raise his sword and what could Bilbo do and-

 

Suddenly she was down there, on top of the white warg and looking back later she couldn't for her life tell if she had jumped or fallen, but her glowing letter opener was sticking out of the top of the skull of the white warg. Huh. The beast released Thorin to let out a piercing cry before collapsing.

 

The white Orc bellowed something probably really foul and suddenly something had her arm in an unbreakable, iron grip and she heard something snap. Before she had time to scream, however, she was airborne again. Not for long though; the next moment she met a wall before falling to the ground. Sounds suddenly seemed very loud as the light turned very dim. Dazed, she blinked and blinked again before she heard a strange snuffling noise, a growl and smelled the worst smell she had ever smelled. Her stomach turned again.

 

There was a mighty shout and then suddenly the bad smell was gone. "Burglar!" She was hauled to her feet. She vaguely recognized Dwalin looking down at her with a frown before he shoved her behind him, taking on another warg/orc combination.

 

Goodness. The foul beasts didn't last long and down they went.

 

"Khazâd ai-mênu!" The large dwarf bellowed and he sunk one of his axes in another Orc's skull. The sight was... Oh, yuck.

 

There came another loud bellow but not by Dwalin this time. She looked up and saw the white Orc grab his shoulder. Bilbo unconsciously scrunched up her nose. He now seemed to be missing an entire arm. The next moment he was also missing his head. Bilbo had never seen so much (black) blood as it spewed upwards from its severed neck.

 

Bilbo decided enough was enough. She took a few wobbling steps back and Óin was suddenly there, with a grim look on his face. He picked her up as if she was a child and carried her further back. But not before she clearly saw Thorin holding up the head of the white orc, he himself also covered in the orc's black blood. Óin set her carefully down on the floor. He started fussing over her, but she would have none of it. She turned around and threw up.


	2. Chapter 2

"Her arm is broken and she has a bump the size of an goose egg on her head, though I don't know if that's the result of the fight or her fall in the Goblin Tunnels. Maybe she has a concussion; her stomach was upset earlier but that could very well be because of the battle itself... Apparently our hobbit doesn't care for blood and guts." That last bit Óin said with apparent amusement.  "I have given her some willow bark tea for her headache." Thorin nodded at the healer's report and Bilbo sighed.

 

"She can speak for herself for she didn't break her _tongue_." Bilbo muttered grouchily, cradling her splinted arm as she watched worriedly as Óin, helped by Glóin, Ori and Dori went over the dwarves who hadn't been as lucky to come out of the battle unscathed. That they all had survived that massive onslaught was a true miracle to Bilbo. It also said something about the fighting prowess of the dwarves.

 

Fíli had a few bite wounds and was black and blue for almost being trampled by a warg. Bombur had a broken leg and a nasty stab wound in his shoulder and had been the first one who was treated. Bifur had been knocked unconscious but they were assured that he would wake up soon enough. Bálin had a dislocated shoulder and several shallow wounds covering his back and was now being treated for them. Nori had had two arrows sticking out of his arm and a severely sprained knee and was now sleeping peacefully.

 

The others all had scratches, bruises and superficial cuts, including Thorin whose arm seemed to have been protected from the bite of the warg by something called a vambrace. Even Glóin sported a very impressive bruise and broken nose from having been brave -or foolish enough- to attack the wargs and orcs from behind. Only Kíli had made it out without any injuries as he had stayed on one of the upper rock shelves and do what he did best: shoot anything that moved. Everyone, including the King-in-Exile, seemed to be in an outstanding mood, which puzzled Bilbo very much. They had just been _attacked_. Dwarves had been _hurt_!

 

Thorin was standing next to her and was actually petting her hair. "Yes, ouch, you found the lump, Mr. Oakenshield."

 

"Thorin." He insisted. "If anyone has the right to call me by my first name, it is you, Bilbo. Especially after today." And now he was making her blush. She just couldn't keep up with his... his mood swings. He was worse than her Aunt Camilia!

 

"Aye." Balin piped up from where he stoically endured having his wounds cleaned. "If you hadn't interfered when you did..." He sighed deeply. "Thing would have ended very differently, I'm sure."

 

The Dwarves all nodded, solemn for a moment before raising their fists in the sky and shouting all kinds of Khuzdul phrases. At her! Going by the big grins they all carried she deduced they were flattering things for once!

 

Blushing furiously at being the centre of attention, Bilbo coughed to clear her throat. "Well, erm, I just did what anyone else would have done..."

 

Balin shook his head while Óin clicked his tongue. Dwalin, Bofur, Dori, Fíli and Glóin all loudly snorted and Thorin draped a heavy arm around her shoulder and she blushed even hotter. "I do not want to call you naive..." The King started and she rolled her eyes. "... But there are few in this world who would throw themselves in the jaws of a warg to save another."

 

"I didn't exactly throw myself _into his jaws_ , Mister Oakenshield!" Truly, Dwarves were so dramatic.  "Besides, it was just so unfair, the way that big orc and his warg ganged up on you! I mean, those orcs ganged up on _all of you_ , but that white warg and white orc were easily twice as big as the other wargs and orcs! I just couldn't sit there and _do nothing_!"

 

The other dwarves nodded at her. Thorin planted his fists in his side and gave her a dour look. "You were brave, to come to my aid like that. Stupid, too, however..." He frowned heavily at her. "Because you could have easily gotten yourself killed, jumping into a fight like that, did you ever think of that?!" His deep voice made her bit her lip. It seemed they were back to this, again. She was all the more aware of his heavy arm resting still on her shoulder.

 

"I called you a burden. Said you wouldn't survive in the wilds. And that you had no place amongst us..." He used his arm around her shoulder to pull her deeper into his side. "I have never been so wrong." Bilbo had to blink at that. Her mouth fell open. Here she was preparing for something rude and... and...

 

"Never been more wrong in your life, lad." Balin helpfully added.

 

"Hear, hear!" Some dwarves said.

 

"I am sorry for doubting you." Thorin continued and Bilbo had to crane her head all the way back to be able to look into his eyes.

 

"Erm, well, _I_ would have doubted myself, too. I mean, I do not exactly meet your expectations of a burglar, I think..."

 

"You meet expectations of mine I never even knew I had." His voice dropped to such a deep, gravelly murmur she shivered pleasantly.

 

Then, she blushed even brighter and to cover up her embarrassment she tried to quickly change the conversation. "Yes, well, erm.... " She looked around and saw all their attention focused on her, among them a few knowing looks. Eek. "Oh!" Her eyes had fallen on Glóin with an impressive shiner for a nose. "Very impressive, that thing you did, Glóin, with the rocks and stones. Getting them to tumble down like that." She knew she had started babbling and that she had very inelegantly changed the subject but she was embarrassed and she suspected that Thorin knew _why_ she had felt embarrassed... And it was just that... Goodness, this dwarf somehow managed to keep her feeling so confused!

 

"That we Dwarrow call a skrida. Sometimes hillsides are unstable like that, covered with debris. It's not just the inside of mountains and hills we Dwarrow have knowledge off." Bless Balin, who always managed to save her from herself. She didn't much care for his knowing grin but he was forgiven. Bofur threw her a teasing wink and she frowned fiercely at him.

 

"Thankfully we could use our knowledge to save our hides." Glóin added, looking very much pleased with how things went. "It managed to even the odds in our favour."

 

"Yes," Thorin agreed, his deep voice rolling over them like a balm, "Today we faced an enemy we had thought vanquished long ago." All the dwarves nodded grimly. "It bears not thinking how that filth survived in _our_ sacred halls. Also, it calls up questions: why he did now suddenly confronted us? That Goblin King might have sent him a message, but how come they found us so quickly? How did the orcs found us outside Rivendell? Do they know of our quest? All questions I don't have an answer to. Maybe Gandalf was right and he had been hunting us..." Thorin thoughtfully stroked his short beard while the other Dwarves muttered among themselves. They were valid questions and Bilbo found herself shivering. The possible answers to some of the questions gave her chills. Who would betray them to orcs? Who would do such a thing?!

 

Thorin saw his Companions' worries. He nodded at them.  "The fact that we might have been hunted is worrying... However, together, today, we managed to finally avenge our kin! Today we put an end to Azog's misery! Despite his, and the Goblin King's, foul intentions, _we_ are the ones who are still standing! Now that we have defeated our enemies and eradicated those who would hunt us and see us dead, I think the worst is behind us!" The Dwarves cheered at that and Thorin grinned broadly.

 

Bilbo nodded along. As long as no more orcs and wargs were on their heels, the travel would be a lot less stressful, that was for sure!

 

Thorin went around, clapping his Company on the shoulders and smashing foreheads together. Bilbo had to admit to herself that she missed the weight of his arm over her shoulder and the warmth his body had provided. She found herself shivering. She ignored her discomfort and watched and listened to Thorin heap praise on his Dwarrow. "You all fought with strength and honour and I could not have asked for better shield brothers. That we have all survived this attack is due to your skills and bravery." His praise and the proud look on their King's face made the dwarves glow and preen. Thorin next turned to Óin. "How are our wounded? You said there is nothing life threatening, but we have to watch for infection? How soon before everyone can be on their feet?"

 

Óin looked up from where he was still tending to Balin. "I'm afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news: Bombur can't be moved for at least two weeks, Thorin." Oín's tidings were dire indeed and quickly quelled the dwarves good mood.  Oín continued in his professional manner, his words though were grim."His leg is badly broken. Three separate breaks, quite close to each other. If we move him too soon, if his leg gets jarred I don't know if I can fix whatever damage it will do. Basically, if we move him too soon he might limp for life, and that's if he's lucky..." The steel-haired dwarf was very matter-of-fact.

 

Thorin nodded, pensive.

 

Balin scraped his throat. "If we move on after two weeks we can take him along to the nearest settlement we find, pay for his recovery and push on. Maybe, if the rest of our journey goes to plan- "

 

Thorin lifted up one hand, commanding silence. "Peace, Balin. If we weren't on a schedule, how long would you keep him confined to bed, Óin?"

 

"Minimally four weeks. To give the bones a chance to properly knit and to reduce the chance of other complications occurring. After those four weeks, another three or four to slowly test how the leg holds and to build up muscle strength. Yes, I know it's quite a long recovery time for one of us..." Óin said grimly when Balin opened his mouth, "... but as I said, the break _is_ very bad."

 

"But after two weeks, we could, in theory, build him a litter and carry him? With all the risks involved?" Thorin repeated, his eyes far away, his customary frown on his face.

 

"After two weeks, I think with due care we could carry him off these mountains with less of a risk of doing harm to his leg."

 

Thorin shook his head. "This will not do."

 

The other dwarves, those who were conscious, all sighed and shook their heads. They were on a tight schedule, but what to do? Bilbo could hardly imagine they would leave Bombur, and perhaps the other wounded, here or at some unfamiliar settlement to try and recover alone while the others marched on?!

 

Bofur's shoulders were drooping and he wiped at his eyes.

 

Thorin walked over to the distraught dwarf and rested a heavy hand on the miner's shoulder.

 

"You have all chosen to follow me, knowing the risks. You have all just now fought by my side. I call you my shield brothers. I am honoured by your faith in me. I will not repay your faith by doing wrong by you. I will see to your welfare as best as I am able. I will see to your recovery as well as I can. I will never abandon any of you. And Bofur, we will not take a risk with your brother's leg. We will stay here for at least four weeks. This will be hard, as we have few supplies left." Thorin offered a grim smile to Bofur who looked like he could hardly believe his leader's words.

 

Bilbo was feeling strangely warm at the care Thorin showed for his Companions, however, they were going to stay _here_?! She looked around at the stone, covered in many places in red and black blood and other gruesome things she rather didn't want to think about. Were they safe here?! Never mind that this heap of stone seemed to be a very uncomfortable camping place.

 

She was only half listening to Thorin as he spoke to them, too busy trying to take stock of their situation.

 

Thorin's low voice still managed to carry. "After four weeks, we will see. Our quest... Well, at least the map and its secrets are now know to us. If we can, we will try to press on. If not, we will wait as long as we have to. If we fail to arrive at Erebor in time... Well..." The King-in-Exile shrugged, looking just that tiny bit despondent.  "Fortunately, Durin's Day comes every year. But I will understand that if it comes to this, if it comes to having to wait another year, some of you will want to return to Ered Luin. I can't expect you to stay away from kith and kin for such a long time." Bilbo could see how much the words pained Thorin, how much his hopes were already dwindling to nothing.

 

His quiet distress made her want to do whatever she could to help him. Yes, his sorrow was much more effective in getting her to do things than his scowling and commandeering. Not that she would tell him that! Either he would use the information well or he would think her some silly female.

 

She stood up and dusted off her clothes. "Well, I have no pressing business matters in the Shire. I will just send a letter or two to notify my family that I will not be returning for some time -when we get somewhere they have a post service, that is." Bilbo fell quiet for a moment and frowned. "Do you know if they have a reliable post service in these parts? Anyway, I signed the contract and I will stay true to my word!"

 

Thorin looked at her in such a way she started to blush again. Truly, there was something in his eyes that made her stomach all fluttery, like she was a silly Tween with her first crush!

 

"I know I speak not just for myself, but also for my brother when I say we have always followed where you have led us, and so we will continue to do as long as we live, Thorin." Dwalin's thickly muscled arms were folded in front of his chest and Bilbo was sure he was as unmovable as stone in that moment. "You won't get rid of us that easily!"

 

After that all the dwarrow loudly -why always so loudly?!- repeated their vows of allegiance and Thorin's mood visibly lifted, so far that a tiny smile smoothed out his frown.

 

After a few moments the din died down and Thorin resumed talking: "If we are to stay here for the coming weeks, there is a lot to be done. Food and shelter. Those are our main priorities. Any ideas?"

 

"Well, if we need to stay _here_ , this is not such a bad choice. This piece of stone is healthy, solid granite, sprouted right of the mountain proper. Nothing like that feeble scree that's surrounding it. We can carve out a nicely sized abode in a few days, I think." Bofur rapped his knuckles on the stone. "I am also positive that no goblins have tunnelled or will tunnel beneath us. They can't get through solid stone such as this."

 

"Always have they squatted in ready-dug tunnels and existing caverns." Glóin said contemptuously. The others nodded.

 

"Erm, if I may... I mean..." Bilo gestured around her, where the bloody remains of the skirmish were still all too visible. "Do you dwarves have a way to get the blood and gore out of stone?!" Because if they hadn't she wasn't going to stay here even if this rock was as impenetrable as they said it was. Right now, it _stunk_. "The smell is... quite bad. It err... it can't be healthy for our wounded!"

 

"Don't you worry about it, lassie." Óin was quick to assure her. He patted his satchel, which he miraculously and thankfully had managed to keep hold of in the Goblin Tunnels. "It's not just medicine I keep here. I know just the trick, and I am sure I will have enough help cleaning up this mess."

 

Bilbo opened her mouth at his easy way of reducing the bloody aftermath of a battle to a piddling mess. "Erm, all right then... But what about the Goblins, are we far enough away from them?"

 

"That is a very good question-" Glóin started but he was interrupted by his brother, who shook his head and said: "We just have to be vigilant because we _can't_ move, for now."

 

"They will come look for us, but they will look down the mountains, not up." Dwalin looked up from where he was dragging something Bilbo didn't want to think about. "I don't know if you noticed, Miss Bilbo, but we didn't take the obvious route down the mountains. We moved sideways and up away from them, even higher into the mountains. We will have cold nights this far up even at this time of year."

 

"We will just have to bear it, for now at least." Thorin nodded at Dwalin. "But we have some form of shelter tomorrow or the day next, according to our miners. Next necessity is, of course, food."

 

"I bet there is plenty of game to be had in the woods below us." Kíli looked eager enough to start hunting right away, never mind that it was now pitch dark.

 

Bilbo had to smile at the prince. There was not a lot that could keep him down, especially now that his brother was apparently not that much worse for wear.

 

"There's plenty of other things to be found in the forest at this time of year." Bilbo hastened to add. "Not just game!"

 

"Good, red meat will be most helpful for Bifur and the others to get their strength back." Óin replied to her. "Though whatever we can find will help. I hope to find some herbs as well. Replenish my stock."

 

"I will start skinning the wargs tomorrow." Dwalin had already pulled out several knifes from somewhere on his person and was now starting to sharpen them. "Their furs will make warm beddings. We need them. Though I refuse to eat their meat. It's ropy. Vile. It turns one's stomach!"

 

Bilbo shuddered, as did Ori and Dori at the thought of eating warg.

 

"That will do handily for the cold nights, Dwalin. Anyone willing to help him?" Thorin asked and Glóin, Nori -who had woken up-, Fíli and Balin all raised their hands. "Good. Though I want you two," he pointed at Balin and Fíli, "to go easy on yourself and not overtax yourself or your wounds. And I hope you realize you were shot in the _arm_ , Nori?!" The dwarf in question waved away his King's concerns, much to his older brother's frustration. Thorin shook his head. Óin used his ear trumpet to give the hard-headed dwarf a firm slap on the head. "Not just shot you are but your knee will thank you _not_ to put pressure on it. If you do... You just see if I will patch you up ever again!" That threat at least seemed to deflate the dwarf and Óin received a grateful smile from Nori's older brother.

 

Thorin lowered himself to the ground, taking a seat between Bilbo and Dwalin. "Tomorrow, Dwalin, Glóin, Balin and Fíli will start on the wargs. Drag their carcasses off somewhere where we can't smell their stench. Better don't burn them; that will attract trouble.

 

"Óin will stay with the wounded and I want you, Ori, to help him with whatever he might need. Bofur and Dori, you two have the task -as our best stoneworkers- to hew the stone and make our shelter. Last, Kíli, Bilbo and myself will start hunting and gathering what we can here in the woods. Let us hope we will find enough to sustain us..."

 

"It's early summer." Bilbo patted his uninjured arm. "There's enough to eat, if you know where to find it. And, probably, lots of rabbits and hares. You know how to set snares? I do, because my father just loved the taste of coney stew. And there's undoubtedly bigger game in the woods as well, though I am no hunter."

 

"Leave the hunting to me." Kíli said. He puffed up his chest. "You're looking at the best hunter in Ered Luin." He got a shove from his brother for that boast and the other dwarves started ribbing him.

 

Thorin leaned closer to Bilbo. "He speaks the truth, though. He's a good hunter. Has almost no patience except for a few things like his archery and hunting."

 

He leaned back before addressing his Company again. "Kíli and I will also look for tracks of the goblins' movements, and if there are other enemies nearby." The thought of the goblins, or even worse, more orcs and wargs sent a shiver down Bilbo's back. She dearly hoped to never encounter creatures such as those ever again! "I will take first watch, Dwalin second and Dori third. Now, you all should get some sleep. There is a lot to be done in the morning. Because even if we are stranded here for now we are together and I am certain that together, we will complete our quest!"

 

The dwarves all cheered for that. Softly -for Dwarves, that is.

 

Bilbo was busy finding a comfortable spot when a sudden thought popped into her head."What about Gandalf? Shouldn't we look for him?"

 

Thorin sighed. "I don't doubt the wizard managed to get out of the Goblin Tunnels. He will find us in his own time, I reckon."

 

Bilbo wasn't pleased with his answer, though she had to admit, at least to herself, that he was right. Gandalf always seemed to land on his feet. However, she couldn't help but wish the wizard was here now, to help the wounded with his wizardry tricks and to help plan what to do next.

 

She was pulled from her thoughts when Thorin laid his big hand on her shoulder, neatly spanning the space between her neck and where her arm started. "It is to your credit that you care for your friend so much, Bilbo, but rest easy knowing that the wizard has many tricks up his sleeve."

 

Only partly reassured, Bilbo laid down between Thorin and Óin. She was certain that she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink. However, she was much surprised when Balin gently shook her awake, the pale light of dawn illuminating part of the sheer mountainside above them to a vibrant orange. Morning had come quickly, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think :)


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